♥♥梅佳藤川 ♥ 愛子藤川♥♥

Political Outreach

Fri, 13 May 2005 13:33:19 GMT

I apologize for the spam, but for anyone in CO, please look under the cut.

The Colorado General Assembly has just passed an historic non-discrimination bill (SB05-028), and Republican Governor Bill Owens has still not decided to sign or veto legislation ending discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The far right is bombarding the Governor's office with calls against fairness for Colorado families.

Please call Governor Owens now at (303) 866-2471 and ask him to sign the non-discrimination bill!

I've learned..

Tue, 12 Apr 2005 20:49:57 GMT

...that it's not the quantity of friends you have, but the quality. <3 <3 <3

Just a little check-in. ^^

Tue, 12 Apr 2005 15:40:31 GMT

Whew! Lately I haven't had time to do the things I need to in my house, let alone be online!! School is going well... I have an A, so that's a happy thing... but I'm studying my ass off to get there! But I sat down and got my term paper done early on Sunday, since we were snowed in. ^^; Not really snowed in, but I didn't want to go anywhere. It was cold. >.< But now it's warm, so all is fine. Although, we had a lot of snow and now I'm worried that my balcony is going to flood because the drainage isn't so good. o.0 Anyway, back to school... I found out that this class is the ONLY one towards my major that I get to take in the next year. Yay for gen ed. >.< Ah, well. Looking towards the light at the end of the tunnel, IE a bachelor's degree!! *flex*

I have been gardening a lot lately... have TONS of little spouts... from the looks of it by mid summer, I'm not going to have to go to the store to get produce!! ^^; My soybeans and snow peas are taking off like mad, as are my beautiful strawberries and my Japanese cucumbers.

Let's see... things are still looking good for our mini-vacation up to Washington, to Tsubaki Jinja for wedding preparations and family fun. Wedding preps are going well... we both each have almost everything we need for our wedding attire... I'm so happy with my uchikake! It's PINK!! *lol* My only problem with the Washington trip is that one class ends and another begins that weekend. >.< Which means I have to make arrangements to take my final before we leave. *falls over* Oh, well!

Other than that, I'm just busy being happy. ^^ We have Vampire game this weekend (YAY!) and lots of birthdays this week...3 total!! Kassi's was Sunday, so last night we went over, I baked a cake and cooked her dinner and we vegetated. It was nice. Next is Emily's birthday which is Thursday, and then Melissa's on Saturday!! ^_^

Alright, well, off to do classwork and drink tea!! Hope dispite the multitude of upset posts yesterday that everyone is feeling better and that things are beginning to be resolved in your life. As always, if you need to talk feel free to call me or AIM me. <3 Everyone, have a wonderful day!

PS. The fruit trees are blooming here, so dispite the fact that they're not sakura, I may do hanami soon. (Flower watching) I hope everyone who can will do the same!! <3

Chaos reigns supreme!

Mon, 04 Apr 2005 13:21:15 GMT

Ok, only part of the time.
Why so long before an update? Because this weekend was the first weekend I felt in nearly 2 weeks! I was on call for Easter/Full Moon...*shudder* That was a horror movie of the first degree! But, I survived and went on to see another week.

Then, there was work...boring for most of you, but there.
Friday was...yeah...I must be like the most gullible person on the face of the earth...maybe that's why trust is such a big thing for me. Unless I'm expecting deceit, I take things at face value...
So, April Fools Day came and pretty much the entire office decided to pull a prank on me. I laughed a lot when it was revealed. I hope that was the right response. I always feel a bit stupid after something like that. They showed me a fake schedule with NOTHING there except two patients...when I told them to cancel the day, they told me "April fools!" Of course, had I thought about it, had I allowed myself time to think about it, I would have questioned it, but hindsight is always 20/20.

I had a mostly nice weekend this weekend. Hid out, got some reading almsot done! I'm reading The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln. Very neat book. Wandered around some. We went to the Denver Botanic Gardens! Yayness!!!!! Very pretty and very relaxing place, even though the Japanese garden is under MASSIVE renovation right now. That makes me sad, but *shrugs* That's what happens, I suppose. Every now and again, things need renovating.

Now it's Monday morning again and whew! Survived waking up at nearly normal time with Daylight Savings underway. Poor Aiko, though, she didn't have a good night at all.

So, yeah, there was my few weeks!

I've discovered...

Fri, 01 Apr 2005 17:45:00 GMT

... in my nearly 30 years of life that nothing worth having is easy. It comes with drama, it comes with hardship and heartache. Sometimes those hardships are the best things in our lives not because they're fun or pleasent, but because the end result is that we're better people. Lately, I've had some trials and tribulations. I took some of them hard, but I've recovered and am feeling better than ever. I think what this latest bought has taught me is that at the end of the day, no matter what it seems I've lost, I've lost nothing in reality. No matter what the pain, I can still get up in the morning and go on and no one can change that. And at the end of it all, I can look back and know, as I do now, that I am a much better, happier person and I will only go up from here.

We fade in and out of each other's lives, as per Kami-sama's plan. We help each other through tough times... we grow and change together, we support and nurture each other. Sometimes we grow beyond each other, change where we don't have anything in common anymore. We let go sometimes at the right time, sometimes at the wrong time. Sometimes we say things, we trust each other. And sometimes we don't trust each other... it's the nature of human friendships. Sometimes we trust the wrong people, sometimes the right people and sometimes trusting the wrong person is just what we need to do to take a chance. Sometimes the gamble pays off, sometimes it doesn't and we get burned. And sometimes we leave each other's lives to grow and change, only to return at a later time once we're closer to the adults we need to be.

I don't know where I'm going with this, but these were things that occured to me. ^^

happy dances

Fri, 01 Apr 2005 16:29:31 GMT

I just aced my first test... I got a 100%... pretty damn good for not having been in school for 11 years!

Life ate me!

Tue, 29 Mar 2005 17:43:08 GMT

Hahaha, not in a bad way though. I have been hiding out because I just haven't had time to be here. I started a big, long project called "school"! I don't want to talk much about it, but I feel it's a really positive step in my life, and I'm thrilled to be doing it!

Love and luck to all those who're having bad times right now... I'm sorry I can't be there more for you, but if you'd like to talk feel free to call me. I'd love to hear from you all!

Anyway, have to run off again. I guess I just wanted to let everyone know I'm here, I'm alive and I'm happy!! ^_^ Take care everyone, and I'll try to update again soon.

Pseudo-Update...

Fri, 11 Mar 2005 14:36:57 GMT

I'm fine. I've just been preoccupied with a lot of things recently. Aiko and I have joined a LARP, so we went shopping last night for a few things. Hopefully we have almost everything. Oh wait, she has to shop for shoes...It'll be fun though. I get a cane. *eyes unsuspecting bystanders*

Ok, I have to pimp this. My brother is a spectacular artist! Look!!!!
Isn't it cute!!!!!

There's a metaphysical fair in Denver this weekend. I'm not sure if we're going. Something is telling me we're supposed to, but I highly doubt we'll find whatever it is I'm supposed to find. So, if we're not going to, then why spend the money?

I'm hoping to update more here, even if I end up doing "friends only" posts as I'm intending to make ko_uta a much more private journal.

Today...

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 17:13:02 GMT

...is slated to be a pretty calm day. ^^; I have the little one (not mine... he's at school!) So I plan on doing more gardening and some more sewing, some cooking and cleaning. God, I'm so boring! But ya know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. I know some of my friends are familiar with this saying because I've said it before, but there's an ancient Chinese curse/blessing that says "May you live in interesting times." Sometimes it seems the more interesting my life is, the crappier it gets, so I'm perfectly happy with quiet and boring. ^^;

I think I'm going to work on planting some herbs today... I've been going through what herbs I use most in the kitchen, and working on getting the seeds. So far I have basil and dill, as well as Japanese onion greens.

Oh, by the way, I'll reply to everyone about the sakura as soon as I figure out how much I need to keep, and how much I need to share. Thanks for the replies, everyone. I really REALLY appreciate it.!!

Alright, anyway, everyone have a wonderful day! <3

Edit: Wow, I watch a show called "Starting Over" as I go about my day, and they said something really profound that I thought I'd share with everyone. Not talking about the bad things in life causes stress. The only way to deal with that stress is by remembering that no matter what happens, what you loose, you will be ok, you will keep going. Paraphrased, of course... but wow. Simple, but speaks volumes.

A call for help?

Wed, 09 Mar 2005 22:27:53 GMT

I'm wondering... sakura (cherry blossom) season is coming up quickly, and I'm excited!! However, I need some help! I am looking for someone who might have Japanese cherry trees near their house or better yet in their yards. I would like to salt preserve cherry blossoms to make "sakura cha" and for use in making sakura mochi. Of course, I'd want ones that were without a doubt not sprayed with any kind of chemicals, and are in full bloom with some leaves attached as well. I would be more than happy to share my results with the person who can send me some blossoms, and I'd be more than happy to pay for shipping both ways. If you have some to spare, please let me know! Thanks!

Oh, and as soon as I try it this year, I'll post my results to share how to do it. But until I've done it once, I don't trust it enough to post it. ^_^ Hope you all understand!!

cross-posted to beyond_sushi

Whee!

Wed, 09 Mar 2005 16:07:23 GMT

I'm so proud of myself. ^____^ The calla lily I planted back in December bloomed today!! It's amazing and beautiful, but I need to re-pot it! It's huge!!! But beautiful... I'm amazed. I used to have what my mother refered to as a "black thumb" meaning I could manage to kill any plant within about a mile of me. *snicker* But apparently not anymore. I've been happily gardening, and I'm so proud of my plants! The other day we went to the bonsai nursery and bought a bunch of starter saplings. I even bought a small orange tree... it's lovely, with oranges growing on it! Absolutly adorable. ^_^ Now I'm addicted... I need more room for plants. I'm in love with gardening. ^_____^; We're currently deciding what to plant on the balcony for the summer, and I'm excited. I get strawberries!!! Yes, I'm a dork.

Anyway, talked to my Mom today... called her out of the blue, and she really responded favorably. I really feel like I'm getting somewhere in my relationship with my parents, and I couldn't be happier about it.

Today I think I'll take a walk down to Home Depot and buy a new pot for my calla lily cause it's WAY overgrown it's pot. ^^; Then I need to do some sewing. I got all my home accents done yesterday, and they're BEAUTIFUL!! I'm very pleased with how they turned out. So today I get to work on my costume for the LARP (which is a dress I've been dying to do for some time ANYWAY!!!) and then work on a blouse that I've been wanting to make out of my cherry blossom chiffon that I bought last year. ^^; Oh, and of course the never-ending house cleaning... *laughs* Oh!! I also have to make mochi today for Umeka's tea ceremony lesson tonight... ^^; Damn, glad I remembered that!!

Watching the news today I see how lucky we are to have our amazingly beautiful weather here. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you in the Northeast who're getting slammed with yet another bad snowstorm. I do hope we get some rain/snow soon, though, otherwise we might be looking at another drought in the coming months. But then, nothing could compair to the drought of 2002. I hope that NEVER happens again.

Anyway, time to run off for the day... if I want to get everything done I need to get moving. ^_^ Everyone have a wonderful, blessed day!! <3

Wow, this is interesting...

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 18:00:12 GMT

I found an artical today that I found really interesting. It's about water intake and how it's a myth that you need 8 full glasses a day. I'm not sure what to think about this, but it's certainly interesting.

Read and see what you think about it.

I have to say...

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 02:51:42 GMT

...as silly as this is, Mr. Miyagi is my hero. We got Karate Kid 1&2 on Netflix for Seanie, since he's never seen them. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed those movies. It's amazing, in the second movie how Mr. Miyagi can overcome anything with peace, calm and sticking to his values. I aspire to be like Mr. Miyagi.

Anyway, this won't be a long update, since I'm working on my character for an RPG I'm getting into. Today was nice... I ran around this morning buying some fabric for the house, stuff for the plants and gardening stuffs, and went to Bath and Body Works for the new CHERRY BLOSSOM stuff!!! I have been stalking it since I got a sample in January, and today was the release date. I have to say I personally think it's divine... seriously the stuff of Gods. *_* Yes, I'm exagerating, but what the hell! *lol* So then, we had a very nice lunch (sushi!) with a new friend whom we met at the NDK staff meeting, and that was good. Came home and cleaned the house a bit, prayed, messed with my plants, and herded children! I cooked stuffed bell peppers for dinner, and now we're watching TV together. ^_^ It's been a good day. ^_^

Anyway, time to run. As promised, a short update. Everyone have a good night!!

Cute. ^^;

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 20:24:03 GMT

Though, I'm not sure it's me.

Take the quiz: "What does your birth month reveal about you?"

June
Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite andsoft-spoken. Having lots of ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Abiding. Able to show character. Easilyhurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

Hiatus

Fri, 25 Feb 2005 15:04:10 GMT

We haven't been around much lately, and now we'll be around even less... we've decided we want a hiatus from the world of LJ. This is not a sad thing, not a bitter thing... it's just a thing. We'll be keeping up with our communities, but that's about it. If any of you want to talk we'll still be checking email, and we'd love to hear from any of you. In the mean time, please be safe, be healthy and have fun!! <3 <3 <3

~Aiko and Umeka~

The cutest thing!!!

Wed, 23 Feb 2005 22:20:43 GMT

This is the cutest thing!! It's a Donald Duck omamori from Disneyland Japan! That makes me giggle so much!!

Edit: Bit of randomness. I noticed that at least to me, The Gates exhibit in New York City looks a lot like torii... they're even a very similar color. I wish I could make it there to see them, they're beautiful!

Feeling better

Wed, 23 Feb 2005 17:37:31 GMT

Today is a better day. I had a couple of WONDERFUL friends come over yesterday to keep me company just because they cared and wanted to check on me. They spent most of the afternoon with me, and it was great. <3 Thanks, guys.
My grandfather's funeral is over and done and my parents are back in Colorado, which makes my life better already. It was difficult to see my family fighting, and to have to hear a constant rundown of who was doing what to whom, but I needed to be there for my Mom because she was on the front lines dealing with it all, and she needed me. But it was very hard experience since it brought to light others in my family that have left my life. I also have to say that his death has really slammed home my need to work things out with my parents. I sit there and say I'm ok... I say I'm doing fine with not having them in my life, but I guess I discovered the real truth: that I want them to love me, I want them in my life. So, here's to renewing my efforts where they're concerned.

Lately I've been working hard on practicing more kanji by finding smaller things that aren't as daunting as a book or a newspaper. I've been using an English/Japanese map book I have, since I adore geography anyway. It's really been helping me a lot. It's a great way to practice, I think... it's easier to look at something like that, that's broken into small chunks than it is to try and conquer the task of an entire book!! Also, I've gone and gotten myself several Japanese pen-pals! *laughs* I didn't expect ALL of them to really take off, but it's so nice! I'm now emailing with about 10 people in Japan! I'm sure some of that will taper and drop off, but for now it's very nice and exciting!

So, the diet is going well... not a diet per se, but watching what I eat and making an effort to eat healthier. We've now been able to cut out all trans fats, all partially hydroginated anything and all high fructose corn syrup. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it, but I've actually lost some weight just by cutting those terribly unhealthy things out. I've also felt so much better without those things in my diet, and it's amazing how much better natural foods taste!! Here again, I wouldn't have believed it, but it works!

Anyway, sorry for the utterly uneventful and boring update. ^^; I'm off to update my communities and then do some cleaning. ^^; Hope everyone has a good day!

Sadness...

Mon, 21 Feb 2005 09:39:44 GMT

I suppose I haven't felt like being around much since Friday... sometimes I think I'm doing alright with my grandfather's death, other times it's a struggle. My mother has been calling me daily to let me know how things are progressing there... and every day it's a new fight. They're fighting like crazy over every little thing... last night when she called me, my Aunt was sitting in the car waiting for her husband to come and get her because she and my Uncle got into it. It's pathetic, really. Makes me glad I don't have any siblings... sad but true. But it's hard to see my family fighting this way, especially since I know it wouldn't have been what Grandpa wanted. He was such a sweet, quiet man. He really didn't deserve this.

This weekend was somewhat eventful otherwise... we were called to a meeting for NDK staffers. It was definatly different and surprising. Yes, I know I'm being cryptic... suffice it to say at this point I don't have a choice. But the meeting is most likely going to hold major changes for us. A little scary, but I think it'll be ok.

I've been thinking a lot lately about my life, and things going on. I have been working through things concerning friends in my own mind. I've decided that no longer will I feel guilty over things in the past. I by nature carry a lot of guilt about anything and everything... must be my Methodist upbringing. >.< I've been pondering the friendships that have gone by the wayside for whatever reason... I generally end up kicking myself for these ended friendships, especially the ones that have ended in a particularly bad way. But I've decided that it takes two to fight... it takes two to disagree. I am not perfect. I have never claimed to be perfect. I sometimes am needy, sometimes am not pleasent. I can be overzealous, annoying, opinionated and emotional. I don't always make the right choices or do the right things. But at my core I think I'm a good person who tries to do the right thing. And I've decided that no matter what, I will never allow someone to make me feel like that's not true again. I will not allow someone's opinion to color my self-esteem again.

New community!

Wed, 16 Feb 2005 18:23:00 GMT

Alright, everyone... haha, here again, I'm tinkering and making a new community. This one is called okami_sama. It is a study group for those serious about Shinto. If you would like to join, please feel free. Also, feel free to pimp as needed. ^_~ Thanks, guys!

Cross-posted

Mon, 14 Feb 2005 18:25:05 GMT

So I generally don't do this... most of you here who were interested in Japanese cooking have already joined my community beyond_sushi but this is something I feel strongly that everyone should know. Since I care about everyone here, I want everyone to have this information. ^_^ Hope no one minds!

I think it can be generally assumed that most who have tried Japanese food have tried miso in some form. I think the most well-known way to eat miso is soup. There are many other ways to eat and use it, but that's not really the purpose of today's post. One thing that I feel strongly about is health and wellness. With cancers running rampant, people feeling tired and miserable and suffering through multiple illnesses, I try and make it my concern to help people feel better. One way to do this is to eat miso daily. I have abridged some of the information from "The Book of Miso" by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi. I don't have the ISBN nunmber for it alone, but I have a combination book that is "The Book of Miso" and "The Book of Tofu" together, and the ISDN number of the combo book is 1-58008-358-7. If you're interested in finding out more about miso, I HIGHLY recomend this book. I have put the bulk of my post behind a cut to save your friends' lists. ^_^

I'll list the benefits of miso, with an abridged explanation taken from the book.

1. Powerful protein booster and rich in usable proteines - There are 21 proteines needed for a healthy body. 8 of these proteines are termed "essential" because if they are available from the food a person eats, their own body can use them to produce the rest it needs. Soybeans and miso contains all 8 essential amino acids known as the sources of "complete protein". Also, the fermentation process makes it so that these proteins are extremely usable by the body. It's been proven that one hundred grams of miso supplies our body with 9.7 grams of usable protein. This is more per gram than a hamburger of equal weight.

2. Aids in digestion - At least 4 of the digestive agents are contained in non-pasturized miso. Basically, it assists the body by supplying enzymes and lactic acid that your body needs in a simple form. It can also be used to replenish the bacteria and enzymes in your stomach after a round of antibiotics.

3. A vegetarian source of vitimin B-12 - For any of you who happen to be vegetarians, this is VERY important. I believe (and correct me if I'm wrong) that miso is the only natural source of B-12 that is vegetarian. Otherwise, you have to take artificial B-12, which the body doesn't assimilate as easily.

4. My protect from cancer - In September of 1981, the Asahi Shimbun, Japan's largest newspaper published a report called "Unexpected Virtue of Miso Soup". It was based on a major study conducted on 265,00 people over a period of 13 years. The study showed that people who drank miso soup every day have a 32-33 percent less stomach cancer mortality than those who do not drink it at all. and 8-18 percent less than those who drank it "occationally". A similar study found that shoyu apparently protected lab rats from stomach cancer.

5. Promotes long life and good health - In recent years, scientists have visited what have been termed "long life villages" in the mountains of Japan. These are villages where people routinly live beyond the age of 100. In all cases it seemed, the people who drank 6 or more bowls of miso soup per day!

6. May prevent radiation sickness - In 1945 when the atomic bomb fell on Nagasaki, the city was left in ruins. At a hospital only one mile from the epicenter of the blast, Dr. Akizuki worked with the blast victims in heavily radiated areas where he and his staff were exposed to mass amounts of radiation after the blast. Nevertheless, neither he nor his associates suffered from the usual and expected effects of radiation, Dr. Akizuki was exteremely interested in this, which he hypothesized may have been do to the fact that he and his staff had been drinking miso soup regularly. It was discovered that miso contains dipicolinic acid, which is an alkaloid that grabs ahold of heavy metals, such as radioactive strontium and discharges it from the body. In 1978, a letter was received by the authors of the book. This was the letter:
"My mother just underwent 6 weeks of radiation treatments for cancer. The doctors told me she would be very ill and uncomfortable from the aftereffects of the radiation. I gave her miso soup and other miso recipes and she experienced almost no aftereffects. The doctors couldn't believe it. When I told them about the miso, they laughed it off - but I'm convinced."

There are far more in this book, and I HIGHLY recomend this book for everyone, and I highly recomend miso for everyone. In the interest of spreading awareness, I give you the following miso soup recipe. Please use it in good health!

3 1/2 cups dashi stock of your choice (can be instant, homemade, standard, whatever you want)
4 heaping tablespoons miso
Garnish or additions of your choice (Wakame, silken tofu, daikon, mitsuba, cabbage, shitake, eggplant, or anything else you might like)

Pre-cook any vegetables you might want to add so they are soft and ready to eat. Heat the dashi to boiling. Disolve the miso in the dashi. Add which ever ingrediants you'd like and eat!

Itadakimasu!

This weekend!

Mon, 14 Feb 2005 16:27:02 GMT

Ooooh, this weekend was so magical! Yesterday was in fact our 5 year anniversary. ^____^ As Umeka said in her personal journal, it's amazing how much we've changed and grown, what directions we've gone in. Sometimes I'm shocked we've made it this far, but in other respects I guess I'm not surprised at all. I think from the start we were meant to be. ^^

So she wrote her account of this weekend in her journal, which some of you read, some don't. The thing is, she left out so many little details, mostly those of her own unbelievable sweetness!! So here's MY rendition. ^___^;;

We decided to dedicate the entire weekend to each other, spending time together, reconnecting and celebrating in our own special ways. She was SO sweet!! She planned most of the weekend around her little mini-spa that she had been working on, and it was beautiful!

Friday after we got the kids cleared out, and our weekend started with a dinner of organic steaks that I had marinating for a few hours, mini new potatoes and salad. I topped it off with hand dipped, home-made chocolate covered strawberries. We had sparkling apple cider and we fed each other the strawberries in our dark, candle-lit living room! It was beautiful...

Saturday she woke me with sweet kisses, and told me that it was time to get up and get into the bath. She had planned a whole spa day at home by finding recipes online for different treatments that she had whipped up in the kitchen without me knowing!! So we had a nice, leasurly day of watching movies and doing spa treatments together, taking a nap, etc. Then for dinner we had comfort food: Bacon and eggs! Bad, we know... *^^* Oh, well, it tasted SO good Then we decided to go out for a walk and ended up going to the Promanade and walking around the beautifully lit pond. It was a little too cold, so we rambled over to Barnes and Noble to enjoy some book shopping and Starbuck's together. ^^; Ended up not buying any books... bought a magazine or two, and just sat and talked forever! It was so nice!

Sunday, we stayed in bed for a couple hours watching our nerdy pleasure, political shows. ^^; Then we got up ready to leave the house, drove down to Sakura Square to get a couple of things from the Japanese grocery store. Then we came back up north and went to brunch together at Cinzetti's, the coolest Italian resteraunt. The whole inside is set up like a huge outdoor Italian market! It's so pretty and sweet and romantic. *^^* Then we decided we needed to walk off the meal. *^^* So we took off to The Butterfly Pavillion. We walked through a tropical rain forrest, looking at all the beautiful flowers and watching the thousands of butterflies flying around us. The inside is amazing!! There's a pond inside with goldfish, a dove's nest which we got to look in and so many beautiful butterflies!! Then we came home, had a very simple dinner of marinated tuna sashimi, rice, miso soup and Japanese pickles. It was a perfect way to end a perfect weekend... Oh! And one more thing! Calla lilies are "our flower", though they're generally a bit hard to find here. She went and ordered them for me!!! She had me stop by Veldkamp's, and came out with 5 beautiful, amazing calla lilies, one for each year we've been together!! I nearly cried.

And I have to say, after 5 years of being each other's everything... the ups and downs, the highs and lows, and with everything we've been through together, I still love her so much. Each day that passes, I think to myself that I can't possibly love her any more... then I wake the next morning and realize I do love her more than I did the day before.

So, happy Valentine's Day, everyone. I wish all of you much happieness, romance and love. ^_^

Weekend...FINALLY!!!!

Fri, 11 Feb 2005 21:50:53 GMT

It's the weekend!!! We're going to disappear starting in a couple of hours! If you need us, contact us prior to 5pm or not until Monday unless it's an emergency. Obviously, if you really need us, leave a message and we'll get back to you.

I ended up not going to my cha-no-yu lesson this week. I stressed out so badly I ended up trying NOT to get a migraine. It ended up being ok though b/c Aiko and I got to spend the time together. Downtime is good.

I'm still working on the kimono and obi, so once it's done, I'll post pics! Yay for homewear!!!!

Um, yeah, so, Friday...nearly 3pm...I'm outa here!!!!

Cosplay is crack

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 15:56:20 GMT

You know, they say that anime is crack... maybe for some it is. But I think what's crack for me is cosplay. They say that once you're a crack addict, even after you've recovered if you SEE the drug the cravings come back. Cosplay is my crack. I see cosplay and I want to do it again... the cravings all start again. But for me, it's not a possibility anymore, and I've accepted that. I have too many things in my life that I want and need to do, too many places to go and things to see to be spending all my money on cosplay. I guess it's all about priorities, and mine don't include it... doesn't mean I don't miss it like hell. Umeka and I are planning one costume set, non anime related for our obligations at NDK... I'm very much looking forward to the costumes and I think they'll be amazing, but I miss the comraderie of cosplaying with others. Oh, well... like I said, it's just not a priority...

Wow...a post! Really!

Tue, 08 Feb 2005 00:48:37 GMT

Ok, so I'm not very talkative. I am currently working on a new kimono and obi set. I'm hoping to have them done by Wednesday evening. Actually, I kinda have to as I told my sensei I would be in kimono for practice. It'll be my third cha no yu lesson and I'm very excited. Of course, the first lesson let me know 1) how stubborn I can be and 2) how much work can actually be involved. I sat on my feet long after they'd gone to sleep (but, hey! They don't go to sleep after 3 minutes anymore!) and kept pushing myself harder to move correctly and such. Thanks to my dedication, I ended up not being able to breathe that night as I found out what a core workout it can be!

I really haven't been up to much. Aiko has been making pickles, which I am very impatiently waiting for. I feel like I haven't been doing much though. Working hard, or at least trying to, learning cha no yu, and finally working on collecting my kimono knowledge for true. I'm attempting to organize it into something useful!

Mooshy apples and stuff. >.

Mon, 07 Feb 2005 16:14:03 GMT

In my mind, there are few things food-related grosser than mooshy apples, and that's exactly what I ended up with for breakfast *gag* Disgusting. I usually get Fuji apples, but this time I got Braeburns because they were charity donations... I should have just given a bit more to the Red Cross and bought my usual apples. >.<

Anyway, enough whinyness for today. ^^; Oh, one more whine... thank GOD the Super Bowl is over!! Buncha drooling idiots around here yesterday and NOTHING good on TV... -_-; Though, it was amusing... we were watching the nightly news last night, and it started at the same time as the Super Bowl. The news casters were joking that they were thankful to all 4 of us watching their news cast. *snicker* I wanted to call them and count myself among their 4 viewers. ^^;

Bwahahah... so I don't know how many of you have Frontier Airlines locally, but here in Denver is their hub so we get all their ads on TV... I don't know about anyone else, but I'm in LOVE with their animals!! I want an icon or something of Jack the Rabbit, cause he's SO freakin' cute!!! ^_^;;

So this weekend was blissfully uneventuful... we did grocery shopping, house cleaning, etc. The only bumps in the road were that Kimberly was on call for the north region this weekend, and so we ended up going into the office on Saturday morning to see a patient... but it wasn't bad. He was a really nice guy who needed some help, so it was fine. ^^; But her pager was going off all weekend... though not as bad as some weekends she's had call. Course, this is good preparation for when she has her own office. She'll have to be on call all the time, or find someone to fill in for her. But then once she has her own office, she won't have to be dealing with other doctors' screw-ups either.

Bah, anyway... I'm going to get to work on a post for my beyond_sushi journal. I'm really pleased about how responsive everyone is there... it's more than I could have hoped for with a journal community. ^____^ Anyway, hope everyone has a good day! <3

♥♥梅佳 藤川 ♥ 愛子 藤川♥♥